Teaching & Learning
You’ll ask some hard questions.
Rigorous, interesting courses and a block schedule that lets you go deeper and achieve more.
12:1
Student to teacher ratio
16
Average class size
85
Courses to choose from, with Advanced Studies in every discipline
100%
College-bound
Our mission
We call our students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. We nurture inspiring teachers and engage with the surrounding community, and our students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.
We share the conviction that a diverse, inclusive community is fundamental to a meaningful educational experience, with a faculty and student body that reflect the rich diversity of the North Bay.
Four years. Every way in.
74% of students take six or more advanced courses, 60% perform, 55% play a sport, and nearly half hold a leadership role.
Arts
You’ll learn to express yourself.
Music, theater, dance and visual arts that build empathy, confidence and creative thinking.
Athletics
You’ll be part of the team.
Eight sports at Varsity and JV, where small-school athletics means a big role for you.
Community
You’ll find your people.
Snaps at Community Meeting, backpacks piled on the plaza, and room to be exactly who you are.
Signature programs
Learning that leaves the classroom.
Experiential programs woven into every student’s four years, built for exploration, risk-taking and growth.
Intersession
An immersive learning experience between semesters, with room for exploration, risk-taking and travel.
Passport Program
Every student receives one international Intersession, free, because adolescence is the perfect time to learn to communicate across cultures.
Health & Wellness
The skills and competencies students need to navigate the transition to adulthood.
Clubs & Leadership
More than 30 kinds of leadership roles, from Student Leadership Council to Speech & Debate and Robotics.
Small school. Outsized results.
92%
of the Class of 2023 accepted to one of their top five college choices
74
league championships, plus 15 NCS titles and 4 state titles
#1
Policy Debate team in the Golden Gate Speech Association, four years running
80-90
college admissions representatives visit campus each year
Worlds
Robotics team reached the World Championships, with multiple national awards
17
languages besides English spoken in our students’ homes
Affording SA
More within reach than you might think.
Half of our families receive tuition assistance. We also award four to six Davis Scholarships each year to students of exceptional promise.
50%
of families receive tuition assistance
$5.2M
in tuition assistance awarded annually
$27K
average assistance award per year
53%
of the Class of 2023 reported merit scholarship awards
Our campus
We’re rooted here.
34 acres at the base of Taylor Mountain, surrounded by 1,000 acres of protected open space. A Net Zero Energy campus that captures rainwater and recycles about 800 gallons of graywater a day.
Meet the staffulty
Teachers who keep you thinking long after the bell.
“I love overhearing the kids at the end of the day, sharing how awesome their classes were and how much they like their teachers.”
Lupe Barragan, Assistant to the Head of School
Admissions
Curious about SA? Come see for yourself.
Meet our teachers, students and staff at an Open House or Visit Day, and find out just how amazing high school can be.